Unexpected
by shadowglove
Summary: When applying for a job at Isis, Merlin never expected to find Arthur's newest reincarnation...or that said reincarnation...is a GIRL. And that's not the ONLY unexpected thing about Arthur's newest reincarnation, and his boss, Chloe Sullivan.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville or Merlin.**

Written for my Paranormal25 150 Prompt Table. Prompt 117: Reincarnation Memory.

For: **AonGealac****h**---who asked for a Chloe/Merlin.

Warning: Mentioned **past** Merlin/Arthur slash.

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Merlin would have laughed if he wasn't so dumbstruck.

He'd lived through so many lifetimes, searching Arthur out through each and every one of them. There'd been many different reincarnations of the once and future king, and each of them Merlin had loved and cherished until life had taken him away to start the cycle once again.

Merlin had met every different form of Arthur, a punk Arthur, an artistic Arthur, a crippled Arthur…_every single form_ or job or _appearance_... Merlin had come to realize that he loved Arthur's _soul_, no matter what form it took.

It just…it'd never taken _this_ form before.

"Merlin Emrys." The blonde looked at his identification with a raised eyebrow, not looking very impressed. "Did you ever get teased as a child?"

"Huh?"

That eyebrow rose in a Gaius-like fashion before those lips curved in amusement as the blonde passed back his identification. "Sorry. I was just always a history buff---loved the Arthurian legends the best…for some reason they seemed to call to me…so I just noticed your name…but, _right,_ you didn't come here to talk about my love of history _or_ your name."

Merlin just couldn't _believe_ it.

He _knew_ he looked like some sort of bumbling _idiot_ just _staring_…but he couldn't help it…hell…he couldn't _believe_ it!

Arthur was a _girl_!

And that girl was staring at him a little warily. "Mr. Emrys? Are you _okay_?"

Clearing his throat, scolding himself for ruining the first impression---like in _every single lifetime_---Merlin gave _her_ a genuine grin, shaking his head. "Yeah, I---you're just not how I imagined you."

"I get that a lot." Chloe Sullivan, Arthur's latest reincarnation, gave him a genuine smile as she leaned back on the posh seat. "Most people expect me to be some very old woman for some reason. Then again, people always said that from the time I was a child I was an old person, that I had an 'old soul' or something."

_If only they __**knew**_.

"So…why do you think you would be an asset to _Isis_?" Chloe asked, eyeing him curiously. "I have to admit, when I first saw you, you just didn't _strike_ me as a Personal Assistant."

Merlin _really_ wanted to laugh.

He had had no idea _why_ he'd been so drawn to the add in the paper about a job as a Personal Assistant to Chloe Sullivan, chairwoman of Isis, a Foundation to help the Meteor Infected and others…

…and now he knew _why_.

Apparently he was going to be the _assistant_ of Arthur…_again_.

This was going to be something!

"I'm very dedicated once I put my mind to things," Merlin began, leaning forwards. "And I have had experience both in assisting very difficult people, _and_ in dealing with the _unusual_."

"Unusual as in metahuman or demonic or occult?" Chloe asked without hesitation, face serious.

Merlin couldn't believe it.

She believed in _magic_.

None of the Arthurs of the past had believed in magic until he'd performed it countless times until they'd had to admit to its existence!

"The occult, or, well, magic." Merlin answered, not used to being so open about this, but enjoying it nonetheless.

"Do you have any knowledge of the occult yourself?" Chloe wanted to know. "It would be an asset. I have what you could call 'magical' friend, and she helps me whenever she can, but the Mighty Green Fetish takes up most of her time, and it would be useful if my assistant was versed in…"

Merlin's eyes flashed gold…

…The paperweight of a pen stuck in a stone began to hover in the air before beginning a little dance in the air.

Chloe's eyes widened, but her gaze went from the dancing paperweight to Merlin's molten gold orbs. Her lips parted slightly, her green orbs narrowing in concentration. "Those eyes…"

Merlin smiled at her.

She was really kinda adorable-looking as she studied him through her eyelashes.

He wondered if she'd punch him if he told her that.

She looked like she was the type who would.

"What got you interested in Arthurian legend, _milady_?" Merlin asked, leaning back in his seat, eyes still gold, causing everything on her desk to raise into the air and dance above her.

She gave him an odd look at the title, gaze going up to the dancing objects before smirking and folding her arms over her abundant chest. "My father and mother, actually. I remember my mother being _sure_ I was going to be a boy. She said that she already had my name picked out for me. She was going to call me Arthur, but then she realized that I was a girl and not a boy…and that threw her through a loop. Dad said she laughed for _days_."

Merlin's gaze strayed to the portrait of Chloe as a child, with a man and woman, chuckling as he recognized the beautiful young black haired woman with piercing blue eyes.

Yes.

Morgana _would_ have found Arthur's being a _girl_ hilarious.

"Where is your mother now?"

Chloe's smile died as she looked away to the side. "Catatonic."

Merlin sat up, eyes narrowed at that. "What?"

Obviously surprised by the emotion behind that word, Chloe gave him a wary look before sighing and taking in a deep breath. "To be truthful, you're the only _half_ decent person who's come here to apply for the job, and while all you really have to your name is your _magic_…you're the best I got. God help me." She gave him a wry smile. "So, since you're obviously hired, you're going to figure it out on your own so it doesn't make any sense to be all mysterious about it." She took in a deep breath. "My mother and I are both meteor infected."

Merlin's golden orbs narrowed.

This was something he hadn't come up against before.

This lifetime's Arthur was just _full_ of surprises.

"What exactly can you do?" Merlin asked, a little worried.

He'd heard about the things these meteor infected could do, hell, he'd come up against a few of them himself, and most of them were insane with their powers…or their powers had consumed them little by little before ending in their horrible demise.

"Well, my mother can control those who are meteor infected…but it left her with a deteriorating mind. She's now catatonic in a nearby facility, but we're trying to work on a serum based on my blood that might cure her." Chloe admitted. "So far we've only had temporary results, with her regaining lucidity for a couple of minutes before she's lost to us again, but hope springs eternal, right?"

The pain in Chloe's voice ate at Merlin's soul, and he wanted to reach for her and pull her into his arms…to whisper in her ear that everything was going to be fine, and that he'd take care of everything.

He opened his mouth to ask more about the particulars of Morgana's affliction, already trying to think of a spell to cure his once dear friend, when the sorcerer narrowed his eyes, remembering something that she had just said. "Wait. Did you say that the serum was based on your _blood_?"

The blonde nodded, looking somewhat uncomfortable now. "It's _my_ metahuman ability. I---uh, I _heal_, sorta."

Heal?

That was good.

That was---that was _really_ good.

Those golden orbs then narrowed once more. "What do you mean _sorta_?"

She pouted. "Usually people get too caught up on the 'I heal' part and miss the 'sorta' part."

"Yes, well," Merlin pointed to the objects above their heads, which were _still_ dancing…music beginning to fill the air and give more sense to their movement. "I'm a little used to the _odd_ to get 'caught up'."

Chloe wasn't listening to him.

She was looking up at the objects dancing, a look of wide surprise on her face. "This song…this music…_what is it_?"

Merlin paused.

She---she _couldn't_ remember it…

…_Could_ she?

"I---I composed it, years ago, for the person I love." Merlin whispered, remembering how this song had been played at their handfasting ceremony, as Arthur and he pledged to be together forever, and to always be true to their destiny.

They were two sides of the same coin, two souls that would always find each other throughout countless lifetimes…one undying and the other being reborn only to be found by Merlin so they could once more be joined as one.

"Has it ever been played on the radio? Is it well known? Are you a musician?" Chloe asked, confusion and frustration plain on her beautiful face.

"No." Merlin shook his head, awe filling his soul as Chloe began to hum along to the song, not missing note or going out of tune.

"I---I _know_ this song." Chloe whispered to herself. "But from _where_?" She brought her hand to her head, as if she had suddenly gotten a headache. She gave a disgusted little snort. "I think I need to take a vacation. All of a sudden I'm thinking of a wedding under twin, entwined weeping willows."

All of the objects fell loudly around them, causing Chloe to jerk and shriek in surprise as a couple of them only narrowly missed falling on her.

Merlin didn't react.

She---she'd _remembered_.

None of Arthur's reincarnations _remembered_ their previous life together…they just believed him when he told them about their past times together, and loved him…

But Chloe---she'd _remembered_ the handfasting ceremony.

"_Mer_-lin!" Chloe exclaimed, saying his name the way only _one_ person ever had, mouth wide as she looked at the mess around her from the fallen objects before looking at him in utter _horror_. "You almost got me killed _and_ made a mess of my office all in the matter of _seconds! _You're the worst assistant _ever_!"

'_Mer-lin_.' Arthur from his memories sneered at him. '_You're the worst manservant __**ever**__!'_

Merlin couldn't help it.

He laughed.

He just couldn't _believe_ it.

Chloe raised an eyebrow at him, shaking her head as she leaned back on her chair and plopped her feet on her desk. "Your first job as my servant will be to clean up this mess. _Without_ magic."

His heart skipped at that familiar word.

"_Servant_?" He asked, hoping to keep his voice normal. "I thought I was your _Personal Assistant_."

"Isn't it the same thing?" She asked cheekily.

He chuckled, ducking his head and grinning and he bit down on his bottom lip, before looking up at her. "As you wish, _milady_." He inflicted as much insolence into that title as he had into the '_sire_' once upon a many lifetimes ago.

Chloe pouted at him. "You can't talk to me like that you know. I'm your _boss_."

Merlin could _kiss_ her!

But that'd probably get him fired.

So he just contented himself to chuckling and grinning like a bloody _idiot_.

Chloe gave him one long, piercing look, before shaking her head. "There's just something about you, Merlin."

"I've---been told." He continued to shake his head and chuckle, running a hand through his black hair.

"And about your other question, well, you'll be working closely with me for as long as you live---or until you mess up and I have to fire you---so I'll let you know that it's unnecessary for you to buy me birthday presents." Chloe stood, straightening her red dress. "So don't."

Merlin blinked, a little confused. "I know that women don't like being reminded that they're aging but---."

"No, stop, right there." She pointed at him, shutting him up with that little finger. "See? You're completely wrong right there."

"I'm sorry." Merlin leaned forwards, resting his elbows on his knees. "But I don't think I'm following."

"No, you're not." She agreed, sitting on her desk. "I don't. Age. _Period. _So, unlike the whole hypothesis where women don't like being reminded that they _age_? Totally wrong. I don't like being reminded that I _don't_ age…and that I _haven't_ aged since my eighteenth birthday."

"_What_?" Merlin asked, eyes wide, heart beating wildly.

She---…?

"It's my meteor power." Chloe sighed, seeming oblivious to his wide-eyed, hopeful stare or the ferocious beating of his heart against his ribcage as he waited for her to continue. "I heal…_sorta_. I heal to the extent that my molecules don't die, I regenerate anything I injure or lose, and if I die---I just come back to life. So even if I'm a bitch in heels, don't try to kill me, because I'll just come back to life pissier than usual and then I'll take you down. Magic or _not_."

"You don't die." Merlin whispered, unable to believe it.

Chloe winced and sighed, looking away as she hugged herself. "Yes, I _know_ it's freaky, but you'll just have to get used to aging and me not…because you're the only one with authentic magic other than Zantana and I _really_ need an assistant and---."

"You don't _age_." Merlin continued, standing up.

Chloe glared at him, defiant as she stood as well. "Is there a _problem_, _Mer-lin_?"

"You don't age and you won't die." Merlin was talking more to himself than to her, unable to keep the grin off of his face as his heart soared.

He didn't know what'd happened, or how it'd happened…but the knowledge that he'd never have to suffer another goodbye, _or_ the years waiting for the soul to be reborn…it filled him with such happiness that he didn't know…he didn't know how to _express_ it.

He'd never have to part with his soulmate ever _again._

So _sue_ him if he was grinning like a fool!

Chloe raised an eyebrow at him, not defensive anymore, but clearly confused yet amused with him. "You're a weird one, Emrys. I think we'll actually get along."

Merlin looked up at her and his smile grew more tender. "I think so too, _milady_."

A small blush darkened her cheeks before she looked away and snorted at the title but didn't complain about it again.

The sorcerer just basked in his happiness, knowing that _somewhere_ the Great Dragon was grinning smugly, singing about destinies and coins and _forever_.

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